Mark - 8/9 - CGD Glass Countertops

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18
Mar

Glass as a countertop material is exploding in popularity. The popularity of glass countertops has increased mostly in kitchen uses but they also have many uses in commercial and residential spaces. Some of the most popular types of glass countertops are kitchen, raised, island, bathroom, bar, and even table tops. Below are some examples and different types of glass countertops throughout your home and some great examples of CGD’s amazing designs!

Glass Kitchen Countertop

CGD’s Thermoformed glass kitchen countertops are a great example of how each countertop can be uniquely designed. Our Kitchen Countertop designs can supplement your homes design and bring out some beautiful qualities around your kitchen. CGD Glass can be shaped to your wants and needs and we enjoy designing beautiful unique pieces for each of our clients. Popular for its simplicity, this piece doesn’t take away from the simple design and manages to add a modern look and feel.

Raised Glass Countertop

Here is an example of how beautiful a raised glass countertop may look in your home. This design adds style and class to what is just a simple countertop. Raised glass is as strong as any of our other styles and can be added to an existing countertop, regardless of material. Add contemporary style to your kitchen with a raised glass countertop, these are popular for their aesthetically pleasing design and extra table space available by extending the raised countertop further than the countertop itself.

Glass Kitchen Island Countertop

The most popular place for a glass design is the Glass Kitchen Island Countertop. Glass is an amazing material that works great for the kitchen area because it is a non-porous material that allows for easy cleaning and a sleek flat surface. The LED lights are very popular in kitchens because they emit a low light while adding a pearl white tone to your Glass Island Kitchen Countertop.

Glass Bathroom Countertop

One popular way to complete your Bathroom is a wonderful Glass Countertop. Our Aqua Clear and Ultra Clear Glass are very popular in the bathroom because they add to the shower/bathroom feel. Textured glass with LED Lights is a great example of how one can add a certain look and feel to your bathroom design.

Glass Bar Countertop

Glass bar tops are most popular in commercial projects and some larger residential projects. Glass Bar tops are typically requested for restaurants and bars, but occasionally are custom made for some larger home-based projects. Drinks will of course spill on your bar top, but having a glass bar top will make it easier to maintain as well as clean.

Glass Table-Top

Glass table tops are most popular in your study space or work space at home. Glass has a clean feel and allows for one to focus completely on whatever is in front of them. Whether studying, drawing, working or writing you want to have a clear space and mind to work with. Glass is the perfect table-top material for your work space and are available at CGD with nearly any customization!

02
Mar

There are many options when choosing a material for your Bar Top but in this post we’re going to go over why glass should be your number one choice. Glass has many unique properties which make it an optimal choice for any countertop, but the material lends itself especially well for Bar Tops. Bar Tops are typically known as being a place of disaster, whether it is spilled or condensing drinks or just left over grease, glass will be much easier to clean than other materials. Below are 10 Reasons why your Bar Top should be Glass:

Glass is easy to clean

Glass usually has a flat surface which allows for easy cleaning

Textured Glass will also be easy to clean because of the surface being non-porous

Glass does not absorb liquids

Glass is a Non-Porous material (Meaning it does not have openings like a sponge)

Glass is water resistant and most accidents can be cleaned with just a paper towel

Glass typically has a flat surface

This gives a bar top a modern look and feel

Allows glass to shine when clean

Glass is durable

Glass Bar Tops are single piece glass slabs which are made very durable

Glass is a dense material

Raised Bar Tops are possible because of glass’s durability

Glass can be made stronger

Glass can be made anywhere from a ½inch thick to 2inches thick

Glass can be infused with other materials in order to be made stronger

The Properties of glass are changed during the production process in order to produce a stronger form of glass.

Glass doesn’t stain easily

Glass is nearly impossible to stain, the non-porous surface doesn’t allow for any liquids to further absorb into the glass

Most stains are not permanent the surface of glass can be buffed out or simply wiped off.

Glass is completely recyclable

Glass materials are 100% recyclable

No material is lost during recycling

Glass comes from sand and can be melted into glass

Color sorting at Recycling Facilities provides jobs around the world

Glass is a hygienic material

Glass is considered to be a hygienic material by the food industry

Its water-resistant surface makes an easy clean

Glass is unique!

Glass is a unique naturally made material

16
Feb

While researching glass countertops you may have ran into some bias & myths towards glass. Much of this is based on general glass and does not apply to the quality of our thermoformed glass countertops. Let’s go over some of the common things that people believe about glass countertops that definitely will not happen to your CGD Glass Countertop.

Glass will not break easily

The durability of glass is always in question. However, here at CGD we work hard to infuse glass with the right properties in order to obtain higher durability. The thickness of glass is also relative to its durability, the thicker the glass the more durable the less thick the less durable. For designers using glass we recommend buying thicker glass for heavily used areas in your home and less thick glass is required for lesser used areas.

Glass will not be difficult to clean

Glass is easy to clean due to its non-porous surface, this flat surface cannot absorb most harmful solvents, chemicals or products. A Glass Countertop will be a much easier to clean than other porous materials you could choose from.

Glass will not bend over time

Though glass is an amorphous solid, (A solid that morphs over a long period of time) it will not bend but rather distribute its weight because of gravity over a very long period of time. It was believed that glass was a liquid in a solid state but it is actually a solid with liquid like properties. This just means that glass is solid at normal temperatures but can be superheated into a liquid form.

Glass will not stain

Glass is a non-porous material which will not absorb liquids and solvents easily. The less porous a material is the more likely will repel stains from other products. This makes glass a great choice for your kitchen design, this is where the most mistakes can happen which require the most attention. So keep in mind while designing your glass that nonporous material will bounce back from most stains with little to no trouble.

Glass will not lose material during recycling

One of the biggest plusses in the glass industry today is the ability to fully recycle glass materials. Glass is a unique natural resource which can be re-melted and re-shaped for other uses. With almost little to no difference besides color differences, glass can be melted together to form a brand new design or product.

Glass is a unique material which provides natural aesthetics throughout your home. The sleek material gives any house a clean look as well and easy cleaning. We recommend looking through our portfolios and projects for more ideas. For more information contact us at: (416)-398-9733

List of things you will need to know about your Glass Countertop:

List of Different Countertop Locations and Styles:

Glass Countertops

Whether deciding on a Glass countertop for your Kitchen or choosing a glass countertop for your Bathroom, there are a few essential items to know before beginning the design process. The first is having the dimensions of the countertop which includes the width, length and height. The height can be considered the thickness of your glass which can be ½”, ¾”, 1” & ½”. The next choice is glass type, here at CGD glass we have two different types of glass to work with, one is our ocean blue Aqua Clear and the other is our pearl white Ultra Clear.

Ultra Clear

Aqua Clear

Aqua Clear& Ultra Clear

After choosing your dimensions and style you can start deciding on the detailing you would like for your glass countertop. CGD glass has a wide selection of textures with some of our most popular ones including desert, flow and avalanche. These are just a few of the texture designs we have available here at CGD Glass.

Desert

Flow

Avalanche

The other two parts of texture that affect the look and feel of your glass includes the edgework and surface treatment. Edge work is the textured corners of the glass your countertop/tabletop and surface treatment is how the surface is designed using different forms of treatment. Some examples of our edge work include: flat polished, fire polished and satin as seen below.

Flat Polished

Fire Polished

Satin

Surface treatment is an added effect for your countertop surface. This unique treatment adds some of the most vibrant and colorful effects to make your countertop look as unique as possible. It is an optional treatment but can add the extra design you are looking for! For example we have our Green Onyx, colored and Stone wash below.

Green Onyx

Colored

Stone Wash

After choosing your type, dimensions, texture, edgework and surface treatment there is still more customization available! We have a lot options for colored glass type that include Back Painted, Opaque, Rusty and Translucent. Below are some examples of colored designs and the different types of options available.

Back Painted Colors:

Dark Beige #143 Metallic

Jet Blue Metallic

Silver #50 Metallic

Opaque Colors:

Amber Opaque

Silver

Gold

Rusted:

Rust Gold & Black

Rusty Gold

Translucent:

Blue

Amber 2

Brown Light

Multi-Colored

As you can see, the selection here at CGD Glass is nearly endless! We have many different techniques for approaching glass and because we have had experience and a love for glass we will keep us pushing for the best designs possible. However, we still aren’t finished customizing your glass design!

In order to protect your glass from being scratched or damaged easily, we can add a layer of substrate under your glass countertop. This substrate is optional but it can help protect your glass from any coarse material in-between and prevent your glass from cracking as easily. The substrate acts like a padding that can spread the weight more evenly along your table top/counter top. Substrates can also be used for raising your glass tabletop for added effect or styling. Here are some examples:

Substrate

Substrate 2

By now your countertop is nearly done, but we want to look at all of the options available to make your countertop as unique as your thumbprint. LED lighting for countertops has become a very popular way to add lighting and a futuristic look to your home. Here are some the available options at CGD Glass.

Cool White LED

Color Changing LED RGB Lights

Cool White LED

There is almost an endless possibility for your glass countertop here at CGD, we hope that choosing your design has been made more enjoyable with so many options available. We always recommend doing more research and perhaps taking a look at what others have done with their glass countertop designs. Below are some of our finished countertops so that you may better your own design further.

Whether you are deciding on a Glass Island, (Raised) Countertop, (Bathroom) Countertop, Bar Tops, or a Glass Table Top we believe we can help create the best design for your home. Call Today formore Information or a Quote!

16
Jan

When lighting makes contact with sand, the high temperatures melt the sand to form glass.

When Lava or Volcanos heat up it forms Obsidian, another form of glass which is dark and naturally occurring

2. Man has been making glass for a long time

Findings from Egypt and Mesopotamia are the oldest manmade glass dating as far back as 3500BC!

Telescope and Microscope lenses were originally made in the Netherlands 1590AD

3. Glass can be recycled and reused without losing any purity

Recycled glass conserves anywhere from 5% up to 30% energy compared to making glass from scratch

Recycled Glass keeps high amounts of Carbon Dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere during the process

Bottles and Jars made of glass contain up to 25% of recycled glass

Recycled glass is sorted by color to keep up with bottle “Color Standards”

4. Fiberglass is glass which is pulled into threads and then woven into fiberglass

Fiberglass is used to control temperature and for insulation in homes all around the globe.

5. Glass can be made into stronger or weaker forms of glass

Tempered Glass goes through thermal and chemical treatments to be made into stronger glass

Tempered Glass does not break into large pieces but rather breaks into many small fragments

Windshield glass is tempered glass with a laminate holding it together so it doesn’t fall apart when shattered or broken

6. Glass can be Carved, Sandblasted, Fused, Slumped, Casted, Melted and even Sculpted

Some common technologies to form glass include Thermoforming, Laminated Glass, Glass bending, and UV Bonding

7. Glass can be Opaque, Translucent, Back painted, Rusted, and treated with Special color treatment

Glass is a versatile material which has many uses in today’s society, from windshields to light bulbs, most need or use glass on a daily basis without even knowing it. Here at CGD we work with glass every day and specialize in thermoforming glass countertops & other forms of architectural and decorative glass. We have been doing so for over a decade with love and care. We put our full effort on every piece of glass we produce and have picked up many glass techniques and technologies to give us everything we need to create your unique piece of for your home or workplace!

31
Dec

Thermoformed glass is glass that has been through a unique process of being heated to a temperature where it becomes flexible and then molded in order to give it shape or texture. It differs from glass blowing in that it is not shaped by rolling and blowing hot air but rather by using a mold and is better suited for making flatter objects, such as glass countertops, tables, & related materials.

Here are the steps taken to create thermoformed glass:

A mold shape is made created to the specifications of the desired piece.

Raw glass panels are cut to a size slightly larger than the mold

Glass is cut further in order to take shape of the mold

The glass will be painted on and given a design

Once the glass is cut and decorated it is brought to a kiln

In the kiln it is put on top of its relative mold

The kiln is heated to an extremely high temperature (About 843 degrees Celsius)

The high temperature softens the glass

The glass begins to melt and takes shape of the mold

The exact texture and shape the mold has, the glass will also have

Once cooled, the glass should come out the exact same shape as their molds

Once finished, the thermoformed glass will have the same 3d texturing as the mold with any added colors or art that was applied. The depth and texture that can be given to thermoformed glass is what gives it a unique and modern style.

Patterns as well as repeating a process are more easily done with molds already prepared, we at CGD Glass have many different molds for the textures we apply to our glass products. It is great for tiling glass, texturing glass, shaping glass, creating depth and can be considered a very high quality form of glass art.

When working with table tops and countertops, thermoformed glass can really add the modern look to any room. From adding simple designs and textures throughout the glass you can bring out some of the most amazing qualities in glass. Here at CGD glass we take pride in our wide variety of choices in textures made possible because of thermoformed glass. For example we have our “Desert”, “Flow”, and “Sandstorm.”

Desert

Flow

Sandstorm – Ultra Clear

Avalanche

Thanks to thermoforming techniques we have an endless possibility of designs we can make for our custom glass designs. These examples are just some of the beautiful pieces from our index and should give you an idea as to how thermoformed glass can give your glass the unique look you want.

15
Dec

Let’s go through the pros and cons of Glass Countertops and Granite Countertops!

Here is a checklist of some things to keep in mind:

Material Quality and Flexibility

Complexity of Countertop

Appearance

Care and Upkeep

Cost

Granite Countertop Pros and Cons

Granite is a natural product that comes from the slow crystallization of hot magma and is mainly quartz but does contain other minerals. The slow cooling of the magma creates a unique texture of minerals and every slab will be completely unique from the next.

Pros:

Dense

Easy to make large countertops with

Each slab is unique

Can be Durable

Cons:

Porous Material

Cleaning chemicals can cause damage

Collects water marks and soaps stains

Prone to water damage also means prone to bacteria

Sealing is required for upkeep

Material may have weak points that break more easily than others

Strip-mining this granite Pollutes the planet

Expensive

Glass Countertop Pros and Cons

Glass comes from sand, silica being the main ingredient in sand and is melted at 1700 Degrees Celsius. Some other materials or minerals may be used to add or change the color and trans-lucidity. Glass can be fitted as one piece and its reflective properties add a unique touch and color to the kitchen. Glass countertops can also be customized with various textures, edge styles, surface treatments, & LED lighting.

Pros:

Versatile, easy to form shapes with

Can create unique layers to add lighting, space, or artwork

Non-Porous

Heat Resistant

Low Maintenance and Easy to Clean

Various textures to choose from

Highly Customizable

Cons:

Finding High quality glass manufactures may be difficult

Expensive

Repairs may be difficult

Sharp objects may scratch surface

Recommendations from CGDGlass:

Full Glass Countertop set-ups can be beautiful but Raised Bar Glass Countertops can be added to existing countertops in your home, see our overview for more info.

30
Nov

If you are thinking of getting a Glass Table Top and need specific colors, opacity or thickness? Then you need to find a place that will do Custom Glass Table Tops such as CGD Glass. Our selection of table tops can fit anywhere in your home such as Kitchen, Bathroom, & Living Room just to name a few! Here is a list of questions you should ask yourself when choosing a Custom Glass Table Top.

Choosing Dimensions

What shape and size is your Table Top?

Take some measurements and figure out how much space you can take up to comfortably fit your table top.

Is it a Triangle, Square, Circle or Rectangle?

Keep a shape in mind when measuring the dimensions.

What thickness do you want it to be?

Pick a thickness of ½”, ¾”,1”, or 1 ½”

Choosing a Glass Type & Texture

What type of glass fits my home?

Aqua clear is an ocean like clear glass that matches nicely with wood and antique, or red colors

Ultra Clear is a Pearl White clear glass that goes well with blues and silvers, lighter colors

What kinds of Textures are there?

There are many different kinds of textures to choose from such as Melting Ice, Sandstorm, stream, flow, galaxy and many others. The main difference between the textures is the amount of grain or frost that each one has. Some textures look wavy, and others jagged or straight lines too.

15
Nov

CGD thermoformed glass countertops are unlike any other countertops in the world. Our unique designs are not only incredibly beautiful, but are also functional and extremely durable. Glass is non porous, thereby making it easier to maintain and more stain resistant that traditional materials such as stone. They offer a unique look and feel that will turn any countertop into a masterful work of art. These beautiful glass countertops can be used for both residential and commercial projects. This gives business owners an opportunity to stand out from their competition. Another incredible benefit to glass countertops is the ability to customize thickness, textures, colors, substrates, LED lighting and more. Specifically, our customized textures add a depth and beauty that is unmatched with any other countertop material. Here are a few examples of the different textures that can be installed within different parts of your home or office.

Glass Kitchen Countertops

These glass kitchen countertops that CGD has created for their clients Is absolutely stunning. It features an Avalanche texture that really gives the countertop depth and uniqueness.

This kitchen sink features a Melting Ice texture that has a clean and smooth look to it. This specific texture can add life to your boring kitchen by adding a sense of color and balance.

Raised Glass Countertops

These countertops offer an easier way to remodel your kitchen without having to redo the entire kitchen. They are able to do this by connecting to your current countertops through a glass-raised bar. This offers a relatively simple and cost effective method of upgrading your current kitchen’s look. Raised glass countertops can also be customized to your exact specifications. Here are some examples of different textures from past projects.

Glass Bathroom Countertops

These countertops can add a sense of calmness and elegance to your bathroom. You can create a certain ambience by using certain types of textures. For more of pronounced “water” feel a customer can use Aqua Clear glass with Melting Ice texture. This adds a sense of style and artistic value that can only be found through beautiful glass countertops. Here are some examples of some of CGD’s bathroom projects.

For more information on how CGD can transform your home into an artistic masterpiece, please contact us today. We would love to answer any questions you may have.

Contact Us Today: 416-398-9733

31
Oct

Glass can be used in many different ways, from jewelry, drinking glasses, windows and doors. The variation of uses for glass in the home is endless. At CGD Glass we can design everything from kitchen counters and backsplashes, to bathroom sinks and showers, and even artistic design sculptures. Our state of the art manufacturing plant makes it easy for our design team to create the perfect glass product for you.

The timeless nature of glass is a simple yet effective way to bring beauty to your home. Its elegance can spice up any room, and one way to really change the dynamic in your home is to install glass partitions! Why have a plain wall when you can create an open feel throughout your entire home with glass partitions. They can divide up your home and use the natural light to create a fresh space.

Glass partitions can be designed as a full wall, or can be used in halves or quarters to create a divide between rooms. They can also be art in themselves and bring a modern touch to any room. They can be made of different thicknesses and textures and come with a multitude of designs that can be customized to your exact liking. You can use a glass partition to separate your kitchen from the dining room, or in the bathroom creating a private divide between the sink and the toilet.

Using glass as a full wall creates a window into a room. This can be perfect for a baby’s room, corner office, or many other uses. You would be able to keep the baby asleep in the quite room, without having to make noise to check in on them. Or used in an office allowing you to get your work done in style. The open feel also allows for more productivity and the natural light has been proven to help in concentration and productivity.

Glass partitions are a great way to transform any room in your home. With the variety of options to choose from at CGD Glass we are sure to find the perfect fit for you. Visit us online to choose your own glass partition or reach out to your customer service team to create a unique design for you!